Africa could be getting its own Disneyland-style theme park, according to new plans unveiled by the Zimbabwean government.
Zimbabwe’s tourism and hospitality minister, Walter Mzembi, has outlined proposals to spend US$300 million on a massive resort and entertainment complex near Victoria Falls. The scheme would be a flagship for rebuilding Zimbabwe’s tourism economy, which has collapsed during the political instability of the last decade.
Mzembi, speaking to the BBC, said: "We think it should be modelled along the size and the kind of vision that is on Disneyland, including hotels, entertainment parks, restaurants and conferencing facilities."
A 1,200-hectare site has been earmarked for the development near what has long been the country’s top tourist attraction. Victoria Falls, where the Zambezi river plunges 108m downwards along the Zambia-Zimbabwe border, is regularly touted as one of the seven wonders of the world.
The neighbouring Zimbabwean town – also called Victoria Falls – has traditionally been the jumping-off point for trips to the falls. But in recent years, concerns over the Mugabe regime and safety have led to many visitors going from Livingstone on the Zambian side instead. This is despite better infrastructure and views on the Zimbabwean side of the river.
The theme park plans have attracted criticism from African travel experts. Alexandra Matts, a safari consultant at Extraordinary Africa, said: “We already have a several Disneylands, but only one Victoria Falls, and people come because it's wild and natural.”
Matts argued that building a big theme park resort could backfire, saying: “Most tourism development in Africa these days is usually quite the opposite – small scale and low impact. This is where much of the appeal in travelling to Zimbabwe lies, so people who want a smaller and more wild-feeling experience could end up opting for the Zambian side of the falls instead.”
But others point out that such a development would be aimed at attracting new markets – particularly Chinese tourists who want a more manufactured experience.
Travel writer Melissa Shales, who lived in Zimbabwe for 14 years and wrote the first ever guide book to the country, said: “The Chinese want a playground, and Zimbabwe is already hand in glove with China.”
Shales, who is also the founder of new educational charity Zedfund, added that getting a Disneyland-esque development built might not be a complete pipedream. “Zimbabwe is not a poor country,” she said. “It’s a rich country with a lot of very poor people in it. There’s a huge amount of diamond money sloshing around. So it could happen.”
“However, it could potentially destroy the existing market, and it can’t be taken for granted that the falls themselves would remain protected or the national park would remain intact.”
The plans were unveiled at the UN World Tourism Organisation general assembly, which was jointly hosted by Zimbabwe and Zambia in Livingstone this week. Human rights groups have criticised the conference for legitimising the Mugabe regime, while animal rights groups have attacked Zimbabwe for transporting animals to the Zambezi national park from other parts of the country. The Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force has said that 151 wildebeests, 25 eland, 60 zebras, 100 impalas and 10 giraffes were forcibly removed from their home territory in order to impress delegates.
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